The emperor Yuan Renzong (r. 1312–20) is said to have remarked that no one could compare with Zhao Mengfu, who possessed seven outstanding qualities: Song royal ancestry, elegant appearance, wide learning, pure character and righteous conduct, literary accomplishment, skill in calligraphy and painting, and profound knowledge of Buddhist and Daoist teachings.

As a leading calligrapher, Zhao advocated a return to ancient models, successfully integrating styles of the Jin (265–420) and Tang (618-907) dynasties to create a new synthesis in both regular and cursive scripts. During the fourteenth century, the typefaces of printed books were modeled after his regular script, while his cursive script, seen here, formed the basis for many later writers' informal writing styles.

Four Anecdotes from the Life of Wang Xizhi testifies to Zhao's devotion to the "Sage of Calligraphy," Wang Xizhi (303–361). Strongly influenced by Wang's style, this scroll dates to about 1310.

In the beginning [Wang] Xizhi did not excel in calligraphy; he was no match for Yu Yi or Xi Yin. Toward the end of his life, however, he reached the highest peak of this art. Once he wrote a letter to Yu Liang in “draft cursive” script which Liang showed to Yu Yi. Admiring it, Yu sent a letter to Xizhi and said, “I once owned ten sheets of ‘draft cursive’ writing by Boying [Zhang Zhi, active about 150] which were lost when I fled north China across the Yangzi River. I deeply regret that such excellent works are gone forever. When I happened to see your letter to my brother, however, as brilliant as if written by a god, my former pleasure and appreciation were revived.

When Xizhi left his position as the Prefect of Kuaiji, he resided at the foot of Mount Ji. One day an old woman was going to market with ten-odd hexagonal fans. Wang asked her the price and she answered that each cost twenty coins, whereupon Wang took a brush and wrote five characters on each fan. The old woman sorrowfully said that her whole family’s livelihood depended on those fans and asked why Wang wrote on them and ruined their value. Wang told her to tell the buyers that the calligraphy was by Leader of the Right Army Wang [Wang Xizhi] and to ask for one hundred coins each. The old woman went to the market and a crowd gathered and bought them all. She then brought ten–odd more blank fans for Wang to write on. He only smiled and did not answer.

Xizhi once wrote a memorial to Emperor Mudi of Jin. The emperor ordered Zhang Yi to make an exact copy. Then the emperor himself wrote a reply upon it. Xizhi did not notice at first but, after a careful look, recognized the substitution. He sighed, “That fellow almost confused which one was authentic.”

Xizhi was extremely fond of [the graceful appearance of] geese. In Shanyin there was a Daoist monk who had raised a flock of more than ten fine geese. One morning Wang decided to take a small boat and go there. He was delighted with the geese and wanted to buy them, but the monk refused to sell. Wang tried in vain to persuade him. Finally, the monk told Wang that he loved Daoist philosophy and had always wanted a transcription of Laozi’s Dao de jing with its commentary by Heshanggong. He had already prepared the silk, but no one was qualified to write it. He asked if Wang would condescend to transcribe two chapters each from the Dao and De sections, for which he would repay Wang with the whole flock of geese. Wang stayed for half a day to write out the chapters, then he caged the geese and returned home.[1] Written by Ziang

The text of the four anecdotes to the right comes from Lunshu biao (Discussion on calligraphy). Had Vice Minister Yu [Yu He, active 5th century] seen this piece by Zhao Weigong [Zhao Mengfu], what would he have said? Viewed by Zhang Yu from Mt. Gouqu [in present–day Gourong, Jiangsu Province]. [Seal]: Gouqu Waishi

On the fifteenth of the intercalary eighth month in the fourth year of the Zhiyuan era [September 29, 1338], viewed at the Xuanwen Guan by Lu Jishan from Fuli [in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province].

至元後四年閏八月十又五日觀于玄文館。甫里陸繼善

3. Ni Zan 倪瓚 (1306–1374), 4 columns in standard script, dated 1368:

The structural integrity and spirit of Grand Master Zhao’s [Zhao Mengfu’s] calligraphy surpasses those of the Song masters’. But in terms of self–containment, he was inferior to Tang masters. I have just seen his transcription of four anecdotes from Wang Xizhi’s life, which is no less elegant than the ancient masters’ calligraphy. On the seventeenth of the tenth lunar month of the wushen year [November 27, 1368] I viewed this at Zhang Yuandu’s (active 14th c.) Huanlü Xuan studio, Ni Zan.

Master Wenmin [Zhao Mengfu] took Xi [Wang Xizhi, ca. 303–ca. 361] and Xian [Wang Xianzhi, ca. 344–ca. 386] as his models in studying calligraphy all his life, so he liked to transcribe their life stories. In addition, his own manner resembled theirs too. On the sixteenth of the seventh lunar month in the guichou year of the Hongzhi reign era [August 27, 1493] I viewed this at the Bingxiu Tang studio while raining, Wu Kuan. [Seal]: Yuanbo

In the fifth lunar month of the gengwu year in the Longqing era [1570] I visited Grand Mentor Sha An twice and saw five pieces of Wenmin’s [Zhao Mengfu’s] calligraphy. Among them, his copy of the Seventeen Letters best captures the principles of Wang Xizhi’s calligraphy. The flowing energy and spontaneity of this scroll are also derived from Wang’s. Ni [Ni Zan, 1306–1374], the oddball, degraded him to the rank of Song calligraphers. Wasn’t he indeed an oddball! I presumptuously argue against it. Zhou Tianqiu from Wujun [Suzhou, Jiangsu Province].

When the Administrator [Wang Xizhi] did calligraphy, his idea always preceded rules. These four anecdotes reveal his spirit in full. When the Recipient of Edicts [Zhao Mengfu] studied Wang’s methods, he focused on his idea, which this scroll well embodies. People of the past said that Ziang [Zhao Mengfu] got rid of all the faults of Yan’s [Yan Zhenqing’s, 709–784 or 785] and Liu’s [Liu Gongquan’s, 778–865] calligraphy and learned directly from the Jin masters, and that he was the only great one after Wang. This opinion was no mere flattery. Xiuyan Yinshi, Hu Shi’an, from Xishu [modern Sichuan Province]. [Seals]: Hu Shi’an yin, Chujing fu

Wenmin [Zhao Mengfu] lived about six hundred years ago. His writings in large and small semi–cursive and standard scripts, kept in both manuscript and rubbing forms, amount to hundreds. In terms of the condition of paper and ink and the preservation of the work’s spirit, none surpasses this scroll. I acquired it in the capital years ago and have treasured it ever since. Last winter I also acquired his long handscroll that transcribed the “Thousand-character Essay” in four different scripts, which could make an excellent pair with this piece. In the ninth lunar month of the xinmao year in the Guangxu reign era [1891] Shao Songnian from Yushan [in Changshu, Jiangsu Province]. [Seal]: Songnian

I had this scroll and the Dingwu version of the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering traced and carved on stone to be preserved in my Lanxue Zhai studio. I then did the same with the standard-script and cursive-script parts of the Thousand-character Essay in Four Scripts and placed them at the beginning of my compilation of calligraphic rubbings, the Chenglan Tang fatie. Thus the two most indelible masterpieces of Zhao Mengfu’s calligraphy in my collection are now preserved on stone to last forever. Viewers in the future should treasure them greatly. In the second lunar month of the bingchen year [1916] Xi Laoren [Shao Songnian] at sixty–nine sui. [Seal]: Songnian zhi yin yue Songnian

[1] Translation from Kwan S. Wong, Stephen Addiss, and Thomas Lawton, Masterpieces of Song and Yuan Dynasty Calligraphy from the John C. Crawford Jr. Collection. Exhibition catalogue. New York: China Institute in America, 1981, pp. 72–73. Modified.[2] Translations from Department records.[3] The Lunshu biao was written by Yu He in 470.

Provenance

John M. Crawford Jr. , New York (until d. 1988; bequeathed to MMA)

Exhibition History

New York. China House Gallery. "Masterpieces of Song and Yuan Dynasty Calligraphy from the John M. Crawford Jr. Collection," October 21, 1981–January 31, 1982.

Lawrence. Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas. "Masterpieces of Song and Yuan Dynasty Calligraphy from the John M. Crawford Jr. Collection," March 14, 1982–May 2, 1982.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Traditional Scholarly Values at the End of the Qing Dynasty: The Collection of Weng Tonghe (1830–1904)," June 30, 1998–January 3, 1999.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Chinese Painting, Masterpieces from the Permanent Collection," August 28, 2004–February 20, 2005.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Brush and Ink: The Chinese Art of Writing," September 2, 2006–January 21, 2007.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Anatomy of a Masterpiece: How to Read Chinese Paintings," March 1, 2008–August 10, 2008.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Yuan Revolution: Art and Dynastic Change," August 21, 2010–January 9, 2011.